Comments: 16 Score: [-] 410 [+].
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Posted: 9 months ago by Boomshank:
I know that at least up here in Canada, any form of "tied selling" is illegal. You can't force people to buy your supplies for the item you've sold them.
For example, Epson can't force you to buy Epson ink cartridges for their printers, even though that's where they make all their money. They can't put a little chip in their printer that stops all generic cartridges from working.
It'd be interesting to see where this goes.
Score: [-] 188 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by scififan2715:
I wouldn't be surprised if that was truly that little chip's function. It wouldn't be the first time they've done something like this. Ever since some of the newer ipods came out, the ipod will only output video through a.v. cables that have an proprietary chip in them. Apple sells these for 50 dollars! Before, you could've used a 5 dollar cord from radioshack and plugged it into the headphone jack. But thats the corporate world for you. sigh...
Score: [-] 104 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by drogue:
The first-gen iPhone's audio jack was hilarious.
"Going with the 'Sony' strategy?"
Well, at least there's Ramjet, for power users.
Wait! SSSHHH! *covers notebook*
Score: [-] 5 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by tragluk:
Is this a web site... or is it SELF ADVERTISING?
(No, it's not self advertising, but that made you question it right?)
The author doesn't know what the chip does. He makes wild speculation which plays on the fears of users and his sensationalized piece actually draws a great deal of attention. Just read the article a second time for a single time when he says that "This chip IS DRM" and you'll find that there is none.
The author really has no clue what it is.
Score: [-] 81 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by pocksucket:
« tragluk:
The author really has no clue what it is. Did you click the link to the iLounge article? I was in two minds as to which to link but chose this one as that is a general review and this is about the hardware DRM, which I think is the more interesting.
In the iLounge article it documents how you can't use 3rd party headphones with the new Shuffle. This article lays out how there is something causing that, and they've found this chip which has no documented purpose so most likely this is the culprit.
This is not fear mongering or sensationalisation. Perhaps my question mark is misleading, but the bottom line is that you can't use 3rd party headphones with the 3G shuffle (or even older Apple ones). The speculation is as to whether this chip is the cause, not as to whether there is the effect.
There is, however, something that many users will care about: the new shuffle doesn’t fully work with any headphones except Apple’s. Because of what Apple has done here—something sneaky and arguably terrible for consumers, especially if it continues with other iPod and iPhone products in 2009—if you plug your old third-party headphones of any sort into the new shuffle, you’ll find that you can’t do anything with the device other than have it continuously play music, without volume controls or interruption, unless of course of you turn it off. Surprise: the only third-party headphones that will work are ones that haven’t even entered manufacturing yet, because they’ll need to contain yet another new Apple authentication chip, which will add to their price. Your only alternatives will be third-party remote control adapters—also not yet available, as Apple’s not even making one—and using Apple’s earphones. The prices for the third-party adapters will be no less than $19, and quite possibly more like $29; compatible headphones announced thus far start at $49.
Here are some more sources:
Score: [-] 129 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by DoggySpew:
Illegal it is. Thus up to the courts we go.
Score: [-] 53 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by cmgoings:
Just one more reason I will stick to my Sandisk Sansa.
Score: [-] 23 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by tragluk:
« pocksucket : Did you click the link to the iLounge article? I was in two minds as to which to link but chose this one as that is a general review and this is about the hardware DRM, which I think is the more interesting.
In the iLounge article it documents how you can't use 3rd party headphones with the new Shuffle. This article lays out how there is something causing that, and they've found this chip which has no documented purpose so most likely this is the culprit.
Checked with the iLounge, which although it doesn't focus on the DRM speculation it does offer a very viable explanation for the chip.
Cons: Needlessly and seriously complicates controls by switching to a buttonless body
Instead of a traditional 'box' with the controls and screen Apple chose to simply have the hard drive and music in the box with the controls on the headphones.
Do other headphones work? YES! You can plug in your Microsoft headphones and listen to your music.
Do other headphones have controls for volume/track choice? No. Although you can buy headphones with an inline volume (which reduces the sound via resistance) you can't use a regular headphone to control the buttonless body.
Is there something sneaky and underhanded here? Probably not. It's a different type of design and is new on the market. This doesn't mean that there is something in the chip which is DRM. It simply means that there is a different method of controlling it.
...
If Microsoft made a DVD player which ONLY had a slot on it, and had no controls on the DVD player... then packed it with a remote control is that DRM? No. This is all Apple has done. You can't complain that your 'Sony' remote control doesn't work on your Microsoft DVD player, and it's hard to buy into the fear that Apple is trying something underhanded just because their 'box' doesn't have controls on it.
Score: [-] 54 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by sidran32:
Regardless I think it's really stupid that they chose to go with the buttonless body. Apple makes crap headphones anyway. If they made a connector with the buttons on it that you could plug headphones into, then it wouldn't be as bad, but they opted for the "you have to use OUR products with it or else your $80 piece of equipment is as good as a brick".
Way to go, Apple. You've solidified my switch from iPod.
Score: [-] 20 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by TheAnt314:
Tragluk is Steve Job's Plime identity.
Nah, but wouldn't that be funny...
Score: [-] 62 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by pocksucket:
« tragluk :
If Microsoft made a DVD player which ONLY had a slot on it, and had no controls on the DVD player... then packed it with a remote control is that DRM? This analogy would only work if you took it further to say that Microsoft had put an RFID chip into the remote so that the DVD player would only respond if the authorised remote was in the room thus cutting out the replacement and all-in-one market. You'd see the issue with that, right?
If we're doing the analogies, this is more akin to you buying a car and then a few years into the car's life you find you have to replace the exhaust. You have a choice. If you buy the official exhaust made by the original manufacturer your car will work exactly as it did. If you buy a third party exhaust you'll find that the car will still run but all the "features" like power steering,brakes, indicators, A/C, etc. no longer work.
You'd surely not think that was acceptable practice.
Score: [-] 64 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by JoshSF49:
« pocksucket : This analogy would only work if you took it further to say that Microsoft had put an RFID chip into the remote so that the DVD player would only respond if the authorised remote was in the room thus cutting out the replacement and all-in-one market. You'd see the issue with that, right?
If we're doing the analogies, this is more akin to you buying a car and then a few years into the car's life you find you have to replace the exhaust. You have a choice. If you buy the official exhaust made by the original manufacturer your car will work exactly as it did. If you buy a third party exhaust you'll find that the car will still run but all the "features" like power steering,brakes, indicators, A/C, etc. no longer work.
You'd surely not think that was acceptable practice. That'd be a good analogy if the chip really was a DRM hardware chip. But it's not.
According to the posted site, other headphones still work to listen, but not to control. If the device has a special chip to communicate with the iPod shuffle because of the new technology they've implemented, why is that something to be all up in arms about?
Worst case scenario is that it actually is a DRM chip. However, unless you're a conspiracy theorist, that makes no sense. In reality, it probably just makes the device work, considering all the new stuff Apple added to the shuffle.
Score: [-] 32 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by tragluk:
« JoshSF49 :
Worst case scenario is that it actually is a DRM chip. Actually worst case scenario is it's a Mind control chip... or a GPS tracking RFID chip designed by Apple to monitor the traffic habits of iPod users...
Score: [-] 0 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by roarkmeister:
« sidran32 : Regardless I think it's really stupid that they chose to go with the buttonless body. Apple makes crap headphones anyway. If they made a connector with the buttons on it that you could plug headphones into, then it wouldn't be as bad, but they opted for the "you have to use OUR products with it or else your $80 piece of equipment is as good as a brick".
Way to go, Apple. You've solidified my switch from iPod. What do you use now?
Score: [-] 0 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by sidran32:
« roarkmeister : What do you use now? I got a new cell phone (Nokia 6650 Silver). I put into it 8 GB of internal flash memory (4x what was in my iPod), and it can play all my music. It can also do a lot of other really cool stuff (being a smartphone and all). Plus, this way I don't have to carry around multiple devices, and if I get a call, I don't have to fiddle with pausing my music and taking off my headphones, since it takes care of everything for me. That, and it holds a charge amazingly well. I used it on a long car trip, and it went through three full length albums without breaking a sweat, and still had an almost full charge.
That and I don't have to use iTunes anymore. I used to like it, but I've rediscovered Winamp and it works much more for my purposes. I'm much happier with what I have now.
Score: [-] 19 [+].
Posted: 9 months ago by donteatpoop:
« DoggySpew : Illegal it is. Thus up to the courts we go. Thank you, Master Yoda.
Score: [-] 0 [+].
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